Improvement in instruments for marking animals



1. s. MORGAN a A. DECKER.

Instruments for Marking` Animals. N.15\,7n. Patentednnegnm.

WITNESSES IJV'T/'EJV'TOR Attorneys.

freely on the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT CDEEICEo 'JOHN S. MORGAN AND ABNER DECKER, OFHAZLETON, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN INSTRUMENTS FOR MARKING ANIMALS.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,71 l, dated June 9,1871i application led l October 3, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

l"of Gibson andin the State of Indiana, have invented certain n ew anduseful Improvements in Instruments for Marking Ani mals and do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and arrangementof an instrument for marking the ears of hogs or otheranimals, as willbe hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to make andusethe same,wewillnow proceedtodescribe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure l is a perspective view of our instrument; and Fig. 2 is asection of the cutting part of the instrument.

A and B represent the two handles, pivoted together at a, andconstructed and operated on the same principle as a pair of shears. A'and Bj are the jaws, formed, respectively, upon the front ends of thehandles A and B. To the jaw A' is attached a flat-surfaced block, O,against which the cutters or knives are to work. The jaw B' is madecylindrical, and a square block, D, is placed upon the same, and held,by a screw and washer on the end of the jaw, in such a manner that theblock can revolve At the lower end of the block D, around the hole forthe jaw B', is formed a round projection, a, having four notches, asshown in Fig. 1, and a spring, b, attached to the handle B at the baseof the jaw B', enters either of said notches, to hold the block D sothat either of its sides will be square against the block C. '.lo thesides of the block D are attached knives or cutters G G, which may bemade straight, circular, triangular, oval, semicircular, or any otherdesired form or shape, and provided with flanges, so as to be fastenedto the blocks with screws, and be easily removed, when desired, andothers substituted for them.'

With this instrument a farmer may mark his hogs, sheep, or other cattlein a precise and uniform manner.

The upper surface of the block C, being at, forms a bed to spread theear of the animal thereon, so that when the block D, with its knife, isbrought down, the incision is made perfect, and without danger to theanimal. l

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, andVdesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the handles A B, jaws A' B', stationary at-surfacedblock C, revolving rectangular block D, with iianged and removablecutter G on each face thereof, and notched projection a, and the springb on the handle B, all constructed substantially as and for the purposesherein set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 19th day of September, 1873.

JOHN S. MORGAN. ABNER DECKER. Witnesses:

R. K. GOODWIN, JAA/nts LYTLE.

